Means for filling liquid gas bottles



Oct. 30, 1945. R, B, FANNlN 2,387,894

MEANS FOR FILLING LIQUID GAS BOTTLES Filed July 51, 1944 a fi ii INVENTOR. far/raw fi'rm/ r/iwnw Patented Oct; '30., 1945 I ENT OFFICE MEANS son FILLING mourn GAS norms Raymond Bryant Fannin, Denver, 0010.

Application July 31, 1944, Serial No. 547,430 4 Claims. (Cl. 249-453) ,This invention relates to mechanism for filling -liquid gas'bottles or cylinders such as used for butane, methane and propane gas plants. It'is exceedingly difilcult to fill liquid ga bottles without loss of gas due to the .fact that vaporsare formed which must be allowed to escape to allow the incoming liquid gas to enter. If allowed to escape to the atmosphere they are, of course, lost, and if only atmospheric pressure orless is maintain'ed on the bottle an excessive amount of vapor is formed.

The principal object of this invention is to pro 'vide an automatic device which will collect and retain all vapor and yet which will maintain a greater than atmospheric pressure in the bottle, and system to retard vaporization. I

Another object or invention is to provide a device of thi character which will automatically stop the feeding of the liquid gas when a rede= termined amount has been placed in the bottle.

Other objects and advantages reside in the do tail construction of the invention, which is de signed for simplicity, economy, and einciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. 1

In the following detailed description oi inventlon, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof, Like on merals refer to like parts in the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing a typical liquid gas bottle, to the filling of which this invention relates, is in== dicated at 22. f

The drawing illustrates diagrammatically the improved mechanism for filling liquid 'gas bottles or cylinders. The improved device employes a sealed'high pressure liquid gas tank ill for storage of the liquid gas. The tank it may he the tank of a tank car or truck in which the gas is re voeivecl or may be a separate storage tank, as de sired. A vapor receiver it is also employed from which vapor is returned to the tank to by means oi a suitablecompressor it through a vapor return pipe lit, in which a non-return check valve 13 is incorporated. The compressor is driven from a suitable electric motor it. The liquid gas flows from the tank is through a feed pipe-it, controlled by means of a firstsolenoid valve ll. The vapor is supplied to the vapor tank through a vapor pipe it, which is controlled by means of a second solenoid valve 59.

The two valves H and 19 are both connected to a common T-fitting 20, from which a filling pipe the solenoid of the valve it.

or hose 2| depends. The hose is arranged for gas-tight connection to the threaded neck opening 01' the bottle by means or a suitable coupling 23.

The solenoid valves ll and 39 are electrically controlled by means of a rotating cam 24, which is driven from a. cam motor 25. The cam 24 open. ates a single-pole, double-throw switch blade 25, between a conductor 2?, leading to the solenoid of the valve ill, and a conclutcor 28, leading to The current for operating the various devices is obtained from supply mains 29 through a main switch 30. One ofthese mains, which will be herein designated the ground circuit 3H,; leads to both valves it and iii. The other main,-which will he herein designated the live circuit 32, leads through a mercury switch and a relay switch blade 35%, to the cam switch blade The cam motor 25 is connected between the ground circuit at and, the liv circuit 32 in parallel with the solenoid valves ill and Thus when the circuit 32 is closed the cam ail-will rotate and current. will be alternately fed to the valves and i9, causing them to alternately open the feed pipe i f3 and th vapor pipe to.

The circuit to the compressor motor it is con trolled by means of a pressmestat so that whenever the pressure in the vapor tank to increases to a predetermined point the compressor will start operation to reduce this pressure by re= ttu'ning vapor to the gas Th relay switch blade 36 is controlled. by means of a relay magnet to, which can beplaced in the'live circuit by means of a suitable starting button ll. The circuit to the magnet 36 is bridged across the relay switch blade 34 so that. after the starting button is operated to close the switch blade 38, the latter will remain closed until the circuit is broken.

The breaking of the circuit is accomplished through means of a mercury switch 33. The mercury switch is mounted on a tilting arm 38, which is connected to a scale beam 39. The beam 39 indicates the load resting on a scale platform it, upon which the bottle 22 rests. Thus, whenever a predetermined amount of liquid gas is placed in the bottle the scale beam 39 will tilt the mercury switch to break the circuit 372.

Let us assume that a supply of liquid gas is contained within the tank to; that an empty bottle 22 is in place upon the platform it and connected to the T-fitting it; and that the main switch 38 is closed. Let us also assume that there is no pressure in the vapor receiver ill at this time o that the pressurcstat 35 is open, and the compresear is idle. Since the bottle is empty the scale 39 will be lowered -so' that the mercury beam switch will be closed and the relay blade 36 will be open. The operator now presses the starting button '31. This immediately snaps the switch liquid gas to iiow into the bottle 22 for a predetermined time interval. .At the termination or this interval the blade 26 moves to theiconductor tion.

without departing from the spirit of the inven- 1. Means for filling a liquid gas bottle comprising: a supply tank; a vapor receiver; a motor driven compressor; a pressure conduit from said compressor to said tank; an intake conduit 28 closing valve ll and opening valve it. This in irom said receiver to said compressor; means for 7 starting said compressor when the'pressure in allows the vapor which has been placed under pressure by the incoming gas to escape to the receiver ib'ior a second time interval, after which, the cam at will close the valve is and againopen the valv e ilh- V Eventually a pressure will build up in the vapor receiver 56, depending upon the setting oi the pressurestat 85, normally about fifteen p. s. i. When this occurs the compressor it starts op- 1 said receiver has risen to apredetermined point;-

a discharge pipe from said tank; a. vapor pipe communicating with said receiver; both pipes leading to a. commonbottle-filling outlet; a solenoid valve controlling each of said pipes; and means for alternately opening and closing said I solenoid valves.

eration, and withdraws vapor from the receiver go 55, returning it at high pressurev to the tank it until a predetermined pressure has been restored t o-the-vapor receiver, All or the pressure is never exhausted from the vapor tank so that there is no possibility of outside air being drawn into this system and the entire gas circuit at all times is under internal pressure. 7

When the desired amount of liquid gas has enteredthe bottleii? the weight thereof will depress the platform to, causing the scale beam 39 to operate the tilting arm 38. so as to tilt the the Weight of the mercury switch 33 so asnot toaifect the accuracy of the weighing operation. A slidable balance weight M is provided on the I scale beam 39which can be set to exactly counterbalance the empty weight of the bottle 22. The amount of liquid gas is determined by the weight of a weightdisc 43 which is hun on the beam afterthe weight of the bottle has been balanced. l

The upper portion of the tank id contains gas vapor and the lower portion liquid gas as indicated at A in the drawing. The tank it is provided with any suitable filling plug 36.

,While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims,

2. Means for filling a liquid gasbottle comprising: a supply tank; a vapor receiver; a motor driven compressor; a pressure conduitfrom said compressor to said tank; an intake conduit from said receiver to said compressor; means-for starting said compressor when the pressure in'said receiver has risen to a predetermined point; a discharge pipe from said tank; a vapor pipe communicating with said receiver, both pipes leadingto a common bottle-filling outlet; a solenoid valve controlling each of said pipes; a motor -vdriven cam; and a circuit closer operated by said cam to alternately energize said solenoid valves:

3. Means for filling a liquid gas bottle comprising: a supply/tank; a vapor receiver; a motor driven compressor; a pressure conduit from said compressor to said tank; an intake conduit from said receiver to said compressor; means for starting said compressor when the pressure in said receiver'has risen to a predetermined point; a

discharge pipe from said tank; a vapor pipe communicating with said receiver, both pipes leading to a commonbottle-filling outlet; a solenoid valve controlling each of said pipes; means for alternately owning and closing said solenoidvalves;

a flexible filling conduit extending from said outlet to said gas bottle; a depressible supporting platform for said bottle; and circuit closing means operable in consequence of the depression of said platform to open the circuit to said valves.

4. Means for'dispensing liquid gas from a tank to a receiving bottle comprising: a discharge conduit from said-tank; a. vapor receiver; mechanical means for drawing vapor from said receiver and ,forcing it into said tank; a vapor conduit communicating with said vapor tank; a filling tube communicating with both said conduits and said bottle; a valve in each of said conduits; and means for closing each valveas the other valve is opened. 7 RAYMQND BRYANT FANNIN'.

claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 

